The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-15
The Home Circle.
THE DIVINE PRESENCE.
BY MRS. H. A. BINGHAM.

o God, whom seeing not we know
From beings in II ost consciousness!
D depth, all other deeps below,
o height toward which we vainly press!
We cannot find thy wonders out
So small are we. and thou so great;
But girt with weakness round about
We praise thee from our low estate.
We praise; we cannot understand;-
Thy worlds look down with burning eyes
Thou holdest in thine awful hand
A universe of mysteries.
o Former of the heavens and earthl
o Maker of the souls of menl
We thank thee that thou gavest us birth
And power to give to thee again!
We feel thee in the springing blade
We see thee in the rolling star:
And in this world which thou hast made
We thank thee, Lord for what we are.
We thank thee for each silent song
Rising alike from star and clod.
Each voice of Natures choral throng
Which helps us feel that thou art God.
We thank thee more, eternal Power,
That not in thy vast works alone
Thou hast beg ueathed thy richest dover,
Or breathed thy clearest, tenderest tone.
o Father, whom the Son revealed
o Ruler, whom the prophets heard!
Our better, dearer thanks we yield
The priceless gospel of thy word!
o God made manifest in fleshl
We tbonIy fhoo for. that neorlaSS life.
That grand ideal ever fresh,
Our highest aim, our hottest strife.
We thank thee for each glowing page
OF hope and promise, love and faith,
That sends it's beams DER every age
And pierces through the gloom of death.
For all thy wondrous works of DID,
For all who spake, inspired of thee
For all thou hast done, Lord, we hold
Our hearts III loves humility.
And still we owe deeper debt;
A gratitude we cannot speak;
There thrills within our spirits yet
A song for which all words are weak.
We bless the Fathers boundless love,
The Sons compassion, wide and FULL
This is the gift unspeakablel
To feel ourselves living part
Safe planted in the heavenly Vine
To feel the tendrils of the heart
With its great branches intertwine.
To feel and know, o Lord of life, -
That in this world of sore distress,
Perplexed with doubt and worn with strife
Thou hast not left us comfortlessl
To know that thou who fill'st the sky
Dost lend our plants loving ear,
Dost hear each prayer and soothe each sig
And wipe away the humblest tear;
a heave My presence round our way
With wbomwe speak through heart and Liz
And walk with gladness, day by day
In friendly, holy fellowship;
To sink to rest in thy embrace,
To find thee in the morning light
Through all the day to see thy face
And clasp thy hand through all the night
To feel our joys more sweet and pure
So fresh they fall from Thee above.
Our pain grown easy to endure
Because thou chastenest in love;-
And when the evil days appear
And friends are cold and foes assail,
To feel closer friend draw near
With love that cannot faint or fail;-
In every night, in every storm,
In all life's varied ills and harms,
Safe clasped around us strong and warm
To feel the everlasting arms.
And when we near the silent food
That bounds the country of the blest,
To lay our hands in thine, our God.
Upborne and folded to thy breast.
This is the seal of grace divine;
The gift supreme, supremacy given;
Our spirits witnessing with thine
That we are sons and heirs of heaven.